With Koreans adopting more of a western diet, their bodies are also being transformed, and sales of ‘big size’ shoes and clothing are on the rise. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 5 (Korea Bizwire) – With Koreans adopting more of a western diet, their bodies are also being transformed, and sales of ‘big size’ shoes and clothing are on the rise.
According to Kumkang, sales of shoes sized from 280 to 310mm (men) and 255 to 260mm (women) grew 28 percent last year at the company’s ‘Big & Small’ stores, which quite appropriately sell shoes that are bigger and smaller than the average.
Of note, sales of larger shoes on Kumkang’s online shopping site showed a more dramatic increase than its offline stores, jumping 71 percent.
Sales of larger clothing are also increasing rapidly. Online shopping site Auction created a ‘big size’ category in 2014, and saw sales rise 27 percent during the first quarter of 2016 compared to Q1 of 2015.
The increase seems to be the result of the westernization of Koreans’ bodies, as average heights are now higher than in the past.
The standard men’s shoe size in 1995 was 250-255mm (39 percent of total sales). However, 20 years later in 2015, 40 percent of sales occurred in sizes 260-265mm. (Image : KumKang)
The standard men’s shoe size in 1995 was 250-255mm (39 percent of total sales). However, 20 years later in 2015, 40 percent of sales occurred in sizes 260-265mm.
Women’s feet also seem to have grown, as half of the shoes sold in 1995 were between 230 and 235mm. (Image : Kumkang)
Women’s feet also seem to have grown, as half of the shoes sold in 1995 were between 230 and 235mm. The gap with sales of shoes sized 240-245mm was 15 percentage points, but shrank to three percentage points last year, proving that an increased number of women who wear bigger shoes.
Officials at Kumkang commented that they are increasing the production of larger shoes, and expanding the number of stores specializing in larger-sized products. They expect that Koreans’ feet will continue to grow, and are planning to develop products featuring improved designs and comfort to meet consumer demand.
By M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
